Cleveland Browns running back Armond Smith has speed, and coaches want to use it

View full sizeAmy Sancetta, Associated PressBrowns coach Pat Shurmur put his trust in speedy running back Armond Smith (35) on this fourth-down play against the Titans last Sunday, but unfortunately it didn't work as planned.

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BEREA, Ohio — For a team trying to implement a new passing offense, the Browns sure have enough controversy brewing at the running back position.

There are the Peyton Hillis issues -- the strep throat, the nagging contract talks, the lack of carries.

There are the Montario Hardesty issues -- the increase in playing time, the four dropped passes.

And there is the Armond Smith issue.

How did it come to pass that the undrafted free agent from Union College got the call on the fourth-and-1 toss play in a crucial point of the 31-13 loss to Tennessee?

"We practiced it. He trusted me," Smith said of coach Pat Shurmur.

"It's a play for me to use my speed to beat the guy to the corner. On film, we never saw the safety [Michael Griffin] roll down. But still, as an athlete, a playmaker, I've got to make him miss. That was a crucial play.

"I see everybody saw it as controversial. Everybody's like, 'Peyton this. Montario that . . .' But that would have been the predictable thing. So we were trying to give it a shot.

"What did you think? Give me your honest opinion. I like honesty."

It probably never crossed Shurmur's mind that the first time Smith touched the ball on offense at Shorter College in Rome, Ga., he raced away from the defense for an 85-yard touchdown on a toss play.

Or that the first time he played defensive back his junior year at Union College in Barbourville, Ky., he intercepted a pass and ran 27 yards for a touchdown.

Hillis again plays defense on Twitter

Browns running back Peyton Hillis once again defended his decision not to play against the Dolphins in a pair of tweets Thursday night.

His first tweet read, "I love the fans of Cleveland ... the city that gave me a chance. I play hard in every play of every game."

His second one read, "If I could have physically played against the Dolphins, I would have. I love this city and I hope to retire here."

Hillis has come under fire for heeding the advice of his agent, Kennard McGuire, who told the Associated Press he advised Hillis not to play against the Dolphins on Sept. 25 because he had strep throat and flulike symptoms.

McGuire also is trying to negotiate a long-term contract extension for Hillis, who he said feels unappreciated by the team.

-- Mary Kay Cabot

Or that after being switched to running back the next season at Union College, Smith blew through NAIA defenses for 1,376 yards and 16 touchdowns. He had a 9.1-yard rushing average for the season. One game, he ran 16 times for 316 yards and five touchdowns.

"It seemed like every time I got the ball a hole was open," Smith said of that game. "Anytime I'm out in space, pretty much I can get to the end zone. The funny thing was, a defensive lineman for the other team [Bethel University] got drafted by Buffalo in the seventh round."

Smith is the only player from Union College -- a liberal arts college of 600-plus undergraduates -- to make an NFL roster. An offensive lineman on his team, Quinton Borders, who was 6-6 and 320 pounds, drew interest from scouts. They kept seeing Smith, an NAIA track champion in the hurdles and 4x100 relay, racing past everyone.

Smith scrambled to find a bigger college to host his pro day. The only NFL scout who attended was Browns senior scout Jake Hallum.

"I did a little bit of enough to have him call and he liked my highlight tape. When I got to the Browns, I told him, 'I'm going to go out and prove it to you.' "

Smith had an 81-yard touchdown run in preseason and led the team in rushing. He survived three fumbles and made the final roster, ostensibly because free-agent pickup Brandon Jackson suffered a season-ending toe injury.

Smith described his journey to the Browns as "very incredible."

"That's why every day just makes me think of how blessed I am," Smith said. "I have a lot to learn. I've always been a coachable athlete, but I didn't have a lot of good coaching coming up in high school. I was a jack of all trades, master of none."

He didn't even start at Union College until an injury to another seasoned back gave him that chance. He was aiming to be a sports agent and fulfilled requirements for his business degree.

"I love being a player right now, but I take everything in my life and just gain something from it," Smith said. "My uncle and father have owned a corrugated box business for 25 years. I worked there all my life."

Smith's speed is what tempted Shurmur to put the ball in his hands on the fourth-down play. This isn't to say we won't see Smith carry the ball again this year, but Shurmur this week sounded like he won't be going off the wall in the future.

"I think he does add speed to the field, and that's a good thing," Shurmur said. "In my evaluation of us and me, we'll see how we do that moving forward. He's our third running back. I'm hoping, as we move forward here . . . I'm hoping we have Peyton and Montario doing exactly what they are here to do. So we'll see."

Smith is OK with that.

"I want my coaches to continue trusting me. Whatever the coaches have in mind for me, I'm ready. I'm here to be an athlete and use my speed," he said.

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